Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to speed up claims by asylum seekers.

Claims for asylum are increasing. In 2013 the number of asylum applications
within the EU was the highest it has been since 2002. The UK has experienced an increase
of 30% between 2010 and 2013 – with an 8% increase between 2012 and 2013 alone.

We are committed to resolving these quickly, while continuing to improve
the quality of our decision making, and we are making changes to our processes
and management to make sure we do so.